Category Archives: researchers

America's finest news source, The Onion, raises an important question: Where are today's black nerd role models? The fake newspaper headline reads: "African-American Community Calls For New Black Nerd Archetype: Hollywood Blasted For Failure To Portray Modern Dorks Of Color."

Here's an excerpt from the article: According to the Dweeb Diversity Coalition, nerds in the African-American community continue, like their predecessors, to be socially awkward, hilariously unstylish, and a source of embarrassment for their cooler black friends. But a recent survey of pop-cultural archetypes found that in the current TV lineup, almost all nerd characters are white.

The Onion goes on to say that it's been over a decade since the likes of Steve Urkel, in his hiked pants, walked into our lives. Who do today's science-loving, journal-reading, microscope-staring minorities have to look up to? Where Hollywood fails, Planet Harmony has got your back! Just check out the growing list of real life, too-smart role models on our research page.

However, according to one of our favorite nerd role models, no one should depend on role models at all. Niel deGrasse Tyson told pH, "if I had required a dark skinned role model to become an astrophysicist, I simply would not have become an astrophysicist."

What do you think? Are role models useful? Are there any bookish minorities on TV right now?

Also, if you have a suggestion for a researcher we should add to our list, let us know below.